Posted on 09/11/2007 8:58:14 PM PDT by Lorianne
There hasn't been a wedding like it for quite some time. About seven centuries, in fact.
The bride arrived riding side saddle on a white mare in a dress made from 270 feet of silk. And waiting for her was her knight in shining armour - £10,000 of hand-forged steel trimmed with brass and velvet.
The scene was the wedding of Sian Jenkins and Rupert Hammerton - Fraser, who are so fascinated by the Middle Ages that they recreated a medieval ceremony down to the minutest detail - the bride even promised to be bonny and buxom in bed, a vow from a 14th century service.
The £30,000 event at Lulworth Castle in Dorset ended with a banquet where guests many in home-made costumes were served medieval delicacies. The following day there was jousting, sword-fighting and even a full-scale battle re-enactment.
Mr Hammerton-Fraser, 40, went out with his squire and ring bearer and fought challengers with swords, a practice common in the 14th century.
His 26-year-old wife said: "Our families were a bit surprised when we told them what we wanted but they got involved and even made their own costumes for the day."
Her husband, a lecturer in traditional print making, said the wedding took two years to plan and research and was around 99 per cent historically accurate.
"My male friends and I drank beer and polished our armour before we went to the castle," he said. "I arrived with a guard of three armoured men and my best men, squire and chief usher.
"My bride then rode up on a white horse and was escorted by her oldest male friend, maid of honour, three armoured knights and three bridesmaids."
The couple, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and their guests drank and danced the night away before waking up to another day of historical events.
Mr Hammerton-Fraser said: "We had a great time with jugglers and falconry and we finished the day with a joust."
The bride added: "I have been doing historical improvisation since I was 15 and have a passion for medieval history. Rupert shares my passion so a mediaeval wedding was the obvious choice.
The couple did make one concession to the 21st century - they were married officially at Bournemouth Register Office in contemporary clothing the day before.
YE OLDE PING!
Interesting.
Thank you for the PING!
PINGING a few more folks..
Ms.B
Don’t knock Renaissance Festival folks. My wife and I also held a period wedding, early southern redneck - bbq and dancing! (funny, I don’t feel redneck, but going down the checklist, I do seem to fill in a lot of X’s. Guess there is something to be said to being married early in life - the longer you wait, the greater the cost from what I’ve witnessed.)
I think its kind of neat...
Verily, thou couldst have been a maiden in waiting therein.
Zounds!
I swear they hire off-Broadway actors/actresses to play the parts.....they have the typical jousting show but the real entertainment are the random little plays that gone on all day long ....with great music and costumes....
Tsk, tsk, get your mind out of the gutter. Interesting question though.
What a lucky couple!
That would be great fun!
Wish I didn’t live so far away!
http://www.renfair.com/NY/
PA has one too that goes on until Oct 28th. I haven't been there yet but plan to go if I can get away. I've heard its pretty good too.
http://www.parenfaire.com/
Romantic Ping
- the bride even promised to be bonny and buxom in bed, a vow from a 14th century service.
That works too.
I wonder if the realism extended to cooties and unwashed pits.
Too cool!! Thanks for the ping!
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